John knocked for a second time, smiling with a bit of a shrug at someone who passed him in the hall. She'd texted him that she'd gotten here and her room number early last night, so he knew she was here. He'd assumed she was going to be coming into town tonight, but had been pleasantly surprised to find out that she planned to be here the entire weekend. He told her it might be late when they got done and she'd said fine.

They were originally only supposed to be here in Phoenix last night and tonight, Thursday and Friday nights. Both of their shows had sold out and there was enough demand to add a third night so they were playing tomorrow night, too.

"Finally," he muttered at the sound of the chain on the other side of the door being worked.

"John?" she asked.

"You were expecting someone else at this hour, Princess?"

"Well, no," she said.

He'd obviously woken her up and he felt bad about that. A little. Not really when he realized she was wearing the nightgown she'd been wearing the day she brought a condom with her into his bathroom at his house.

"You look nice," he said.

"I'm sure," she said with tight lips.

"You're here. That's pretty fucking fantastic."

"You look tired," she whispered.

He shrugged. He knew he did. He didn't care, though. He leaned in to kiss her as she let him into the room. He leaned back against the door, pushing it closed as she met him to deepen the kiss. Her lips parted as quickly as his did. He slid his arms around her, cupping her ass before sliding them lower to tug up the hem of her nightgown.

"Now who's wearing too many clothes," she murmured, kissing his neck. She nipped the skin there and he groaned softly. He tugged her even closer against him as she continued nipping and sucking at his skin there.

He was breathing entirely too heavy for just kissing, but "fuck does that feel good," he murmured at what she was doing. It'd been a real long time since he'd had a hickey on his neck. He never liked them, a visible and blatant sign that he was taken. He worked her panties down around her thighs and she shifted a bit to step out of them completely.

She groaned against the spot on his neck she was working on as he slid a fingertip inside of her and he hissed as she clenched around him. She slid a hand to the front of his jeans, working the button and zipper there and reaching in to touch him.

"He missed you, too," he whispered as she touched his head before reaching to stroke his shaft.

She stopped kissing and sucking at the spot on his neck and he groaned softly, pressing into her lips as she moved them. Then she was kissing his ear and he wasn't going to complain about that because that felt incredibly good, too.

"Sit," she whispered.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Sit," she repeated.

"Here?"

She squeezed his shaft gently.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you want," he whispered, sliding his jeans down a bit along his hips as he did as she asked and sat with his back against the door.

She positioned herself over his length, both of her hands beside his head against the door, crying out as she took him inside of her in one solid thrust. Her breath caught a bit. So did his for that matter as she worked herself up and down his shaft. He'd give anything to be able to see her working him in and out of her like this.

He slid her nightgown up so he could pay attention to her breasts as his hands squeezed her ass, encouraging her thrusts against him. Not that she needed encouragement. She rode him pretty fucking hard without him doing or saying anything.

"John," she gasped.

He slid a hand between her legs.

"Right there."

"Okay," he whispered.

"Don't fucking stop."

"Not planning on it," he said with a soft chuckle.

She collapsed against him, arms sliding around his neck once they'd both finished.

"Nice to see you, too," he said.

"Yeah," she murmured.

"Should I be worried as to why you were that horny?"

"I hadn't had sex in over fifteen months before we did in January."

"Feel free to make up for all the lost time you need."

"This going a week is tough."

He laughed heartily at that.

"That's a guy's line."

"It's true!"

"Well, I'll say it again, come with us."

"We can't have sex on the bus with everyone there."

"We could try it once and see."

"No! Not with Missy there."

"You'd try it without Missy there?"

"Ask me after we haven't just had sex."

He chuckled then, kissing her.

"Where is Missy?"

"I, uh, maybe didn't tell her you were here yet."

"John!"

"Hey! We couldn't have done that had she been with me."

"I know."

"So, well, it would seem I made a good choice. I figured we could surprise her. Go get her for breakfast."

"Oh, sure."

"After we had sex."

She snorted against his neck, kissing him in the same spot she'd left him the hickey.

"You marking me?"

"Uh huh," she whispered.

"Can I do it, too?"

She shrugged, kissing him lightly. "Sure," she murmured against his skin.

He slid a fingertip along the spot. "I don't think my hair's going to hide this one very well."

"I know, sorry," she whispered.

"It's all right," he said. In November he'd sort of directed her to a more out of the way spot, but tonight he hadn't bothered.

"What time is it?"

"Four thirty."

"In the morning?"

"Yup. I figured we'd have sex, get a nap, wake up, have sex again, and then take a shower."

"That's a lot of sex."

"No, it's not."

"I agree."

He chuckled.

"Good."

"Want to see my bed?"

"You know I do."

"Mm kay," she whispered as she stood, sighing softly as he slipped out of her. "I hate that part."

"Me, too!"

She giggled softly. "I'll be there in a second."

"Yeah, sure. I'll probably use it after you anyway," he said, standing as she went to the bathroom. He shed his clothes then and was ready to use the bathroom when she came out.

"What time did you have going to get Missy for breakfast?" she asked once they were in bed.

"Whenever I get my fill of you."

"That will happen?"

"I'm going to do my best to put it to the test and see."

"And if you don't?"

"Well, I'm ninety-nine percent positive I won't, so ten o'clock?"

"Okay. Where do they think you are?"

"I told them I was going to drop your pass off for you so I doubt they'll care."

"Is Missy alone with Sean?"

"No, the guys are on the bus with her."

"John…"

"No one is going to hurt her, Claire. Claude wouldn't let it happen if nothing else. He's got daughters, too."

"He never sees them!"

"Not his choice, and Paula is at least letting him talk to them now."

"You mentioned he was trying."

"He's gotten that much."

"Good."

"Yeah."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For wanting to see me without Missy."

"Uh," he said with a slight frown, glancing at her. "I'm not sure how to respond to that."

She shrugged. "It's nice to be wanted as Claire not as Missy's mom."

"Well, I'm not sure you'll ever be anything but Claire to me. I mean, you're her mom sure, but I've never loved anyone else so that sort of trumps most anything else."

"And I thank you."

"You're welcome. I didn't realize you doubted I want you?"

"No, I know you do. It's just nice to have it shown."

"Hey! You're the one who told me to sit and had your way with me."

"I know."

"Want me to show you again?"

"I thought you wanted to nap first?"

"My libido apparently doesn't agree with that plan."

"You might want to remind your libido you're not a teenager anymore."

"Around you it apparently thinks I am."

She snorted softly at that.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"Nothing. I doubt your libido has had to worry about suffering a loss in frequency very often."

"Hey," he said, moving on top of her. "Don't say that shit. Okay? We have a past, both of us. I've never been married and I sure as hell didn't share a bed with someone every night for months."

"I'm not mad, John," she said, shaking her head against the pillow. "Just saying."

"Well, I told you, he's always been especially fond of you."

"He has, huh?"

"Yup, it's all his fault."

"You said it was my fault."

"Well, clearly, yes. You came to me. You started it. You got our attention, but he liked the attention you showed him that day."

"I had no idea what I was doing."

"That right there excited him like you can't even imagine."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'd think it wouldn't?"

"Ordinarily, maybe, but it was you. Fucking Claire Standish was doing that to and with me. And then you said what you said," he shrugged, finding her collarbone and kissing her. He was grateful she'd taken her nightgown off while he'd used the bathroom.

"Does it still excite you?"

"What?"

She shrugged, running her fingers through his hair.

"That I'm not overly…"

"Yes," he said simply. "That's what I was getting at that night you got mad at me when I commented on your breasts. I love that you're still you. Older and more experienced, but still you."

"I'd just never had anyone compliment my breasts before."

"They're fucking insane then for not worshiping them."

"John," she said, sounding kind of embarrassed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come with us after Melissa goes off to school and I will worship them every waking moment I can."

"Right."

"You think I'm lying?"

"Well, no, but …"

"Come with and find out how serious I am."

"We can't have sex every night on the bus with people there."

"I think you underestimate how much I'd love to sit and be attentive to them."

"Just that?"

"Well, not every night with nothing else, no. Right now, too, you know, when it's weeks or more in between. If you were with me every day though, sure."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Why?"

She shrugged under him. He ran a fingertip along the outline of a nipple.

"Why?" he asked again.

"I don't know."

He frowned a bit. "So, you've never just done things without them leading to sex?"

"That first night at your house," she whispered.

And then they'd had sex afterward anyway.

He had no idea what to even say to that. He couldn't deny he wasn't a huge foreplay only guy himself, but that was because he'd always figured that was what having a girlfriend was for.

"Not for lack of it being appealing," she said. "Now that does bother you."

"No! I just feel bad that the one time you got that it ended up …"

"I don't!"

"All right." He slid beside her again, resting his head against one of his hands. "So, Stu?" He didn't want to know the answer.

"No. We dated for years before we ever had sex."

"Really?"

"Yes. My experiences hadn't been that great, I told you that. So I wasn't in any hurry. I also told you I wasn't sure what he wanted from me. He'd never been married and was older. I didn't want him getting the idea I wanted more kids or anything. Then he got sick," she shrugged.

"I suppose."

"I sometimes wonder if he didn't know he was sick when he asked me to marry him."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It was out of the blue. He wanted to adopt Melissa. He'd love for her to take over his business versus one of his nephews."

"Ah," John said. "That's why he left it to you?"

"That and he knew I could run it capably. I don't really. I'm just majority shareholder, but he knows I can read a spreadsheet. He also knows I know how much the business meant to him."

"Right."

"You don't like I have to do the things I have to do this summer."

It was his turn to shrug.

"I get it, but no. It's ridiculous."

"I understand."

"I'm glad, I don't want you upset with me over something like that."

"I'm not, but I can't just shirk what he asked me to do."

"I know. I wouldn't want you any other way, Claire."

"Thank you."

"So, does that idea tempt you to come with us?"

She giggled softly under him. It was so strange when she giggled. He wasn't sure why, it just went against the persona she put out.

"Nights of you doing things to my breasts?"

"Yeah!"

"I don't know, John. I have Scotty to think about, and my designs."

"But you're not under contract to anyone."

"Yes, but I have ideas flowing. That'd be like me telling you not to write music when you've got words coming to you in your sleep."

"You know that phenomenon?"

"I do!"

"Me, too."

"I'm not saying I haven't thought about it."

"Good."

"My father would…"

"Did you have lunch with them this week?"

"No," she whispered.

"Really?"

"Yes, I cancelled. I couldn't do it. I didn't want to hear about how awful I am for letting her go with you."

"Good for you. I don't know how to say that without sending incredibly egotistical or condescending, but I'm proud of you. That had to be hard."

"It was, incredibly."

"Good, though."

"Yeah," she said. "I felt terrible doing it and the day of, but that evening after a couple of glasses of wine with Ally and Andy I felt much better."

He chuckled. "I bet."

"Chris left me about four messages that day and at least two a day since."

"Wow."

"They're not happy."

"Sucks to be them."

"John. Be nice. They're my family."

"I have done stupendously well without mine for eighteen years now. Need some lessons?"

"I can't cut them out completely."

"No, I imagine you can't. They seem like they've been decent to Melissa for the most part."
"They have. I couldn't have finished school without my parents."

"I know," he said. Likely even if he had been involved she wouldn't have been able to finish without them. He wasn't dumb. He knew how much college cost.

"How much is her school?"

"Oh, God," she said.

"That bad?"

"Yes," she said. "I about died when I got the information."

"You'll, uh, let me help?"

"John. That's a huge expense."

"Sure it is, and one you shouldn't have to shoulder yourself. I agreed to support until she was done with college."

"Why did you?"

He shrugged. "It seemed the right thing to do."

"I was surprised."

"Yeah, well your dad gave me a lower amount if I did it through college."

She shook her head.

"I didn't know."

"And while I'll still give you support, I'd like to do more than just that. I mean, if you'll let me."

"I guess. I hadn't thought about it."

"Really? You're dating your daughter's father and you hadn't thought about it?"

"I've been doing it on my own for so long I just, no, hadn't thought about what dating you meant."

"It means I want to help you where I can."

"You'd really be able to do just do that nights on end?"

"Well, some turnabout would be nice, but, sure, I'd completely understand doing it on a bus may not be your thing."

"It's not the bus."

"Okay, doing it on a bus with people nearby."

"Yes, that's it."

"You never know, Princess, you may like it."

"And you would?"

"Yes."

"Why?" she asked.

How to explain it.

"I don't know. I'm not an exhibitionist or anything, but yeah, I guess I'd like to show off that I can actually have a normal, functioning girlfriend and relationship."

"That would do that?"

"It would prove you were fucking real cool, yes."

She laughed, trailing a fingertip along his neck. Likely the hickey she'd left him is what she was touching.

"You're not mad?"

"About a hickey? No."

"It's going to show onstage."

"I don't think they're going to be looking at my neck that closely. And if they are, I don't give a fuck."

"Okay."

"I like that you were that into it. That's worth any amount of shit I might get for having it."

"We're not napping," she whispered.

"I know. We could forget the nap. Have sex again, take a shower, and go get her."

"Is she sleeping?"

"I imagine she is, but for breakfast with you I'm sure she'll be fine and knowing she gets a couple of nights in a real bed."

"At least there are no condom wrappers for me to worry about her seeing."

"There is that," John said.

She wasn't thrilled. Well, she was at first when John woke her up and had her come outside the bus to see her mom there. She ran up to her and hugged her so tightly that Claire started crying John noticed. He imagined last year was still pretty fresh on Claire's mind so any hugs like this were welcome.

That excitement changed pretty quickly, though, when she realized where John had been for the past couple of hours.

"You lied to me!"

"I didn't lie to you. I told you I was going to drop off the pass at her hotel."

"You didn't tell me she was in town, though!"

"I don't know what you two tell each other. I assumed you knew!"

"So, you've spent the last three hours with her."

"Yes," John said.

"Doing what?"

He knew when it had registered. She saw the hickey and that they both had damp hair. John was wearing what he'd worn last night, so that wasn't a huge telltale sign of anything.

"Missy," Claire said.

Her face blanched and she covered her mouth with her hand. "You two. No, no no."

"Melissa," John said. She'd seen John share her mom's room. Hadn't she?

"What am I going to get a brother or sister in nine months now?"

"Absolutely not," Claire said.

John was glad about the answer, but he wasn't sure why she was so absolute about it. He remembered her saying earlier in her room that Stu knew she hadn't wanted more. Did she not want more? Had that been why she didn't want to get married before Stu? Why not?

"How can you two?"

"Missy, really. You knew we were together."

"Yes, but I'm going to be sleeping in the room tonight."

"Yes, just like you slept down the hall from us last weekend."

"Yes, but," she said, seeming to mull that one over. "You're my parents!"

John laughed at that.

"This is funny to you?" Claire asked.

"Well, no, but any other kid saying that to their parents it wouldn't be exactly shocking their parents were sleeping together."

"You promise me no brother or sister?"

"Missy. No," Claire said evenly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming into town last night?"

"I assumed John would tell you. I'm sorry. You're both so busy I don't want to be the obsessive mother or girlfriend that can't leave you two alone."

"I thought it'd be a nice surprise, seeing her for breakfast."

"You wanted to have sex with my mother!"

"Well," John said, glancing at Claire for help. "Yeah," he said with a shrug.

"John!" Claire said.

"Hey, she's eighteen. She said it and she's right. I'm not going to lie to her."

"Yes, but…" Claire said.

"I'd like to know why the idea of a sibling seems to have her most upset."

"I don't want to go to college and have a literal baby brother or sister! I certainly don't want to have to explain that to everyone!"

"Fair," he said.

"Did you come here to see him or me?" Melissa asked.

Ah, John thought. Perhaps that was the heart of the matter.

"I came here to see you, both of you, but you. You're my daughter, doing this amazing thing. Of course I'm going to come see you. Again, though, I'm trying not to be obsessive about my support. I honestly don't remember not telling you, it wasn't on purpose. I just assumed between the two of you, you'd know I was getting here last night."

"So you didn't tell him not to tell me?"

"Missy! No, absolutely not. He woke me up, I didn't know he was going to come to my room as early as he did."

"I thought you were okay with us being together," John said.

"I am," she said with a shrug. "I guess it bothered me. I don't know. Until now I've always known Mom better than anyone."

"That hasn't changed," John said.

"Yes, but you know things about her I'll never know."

"As it should be since I'm her age not yours. That doesn't mean you don't know her best. You guys had years just the two of you. Something tells me I'm going to get jealous a time or two."

"Right," Melissa said.

"Hey, remember that night you told me about your Rock Lobster dance?"

"Yeah," she said, looking very much as if she was searching through her memory for that conversation.

"I hung up really jealous. It's on me, I totally get that. I could've looked your mom up after a while. My reasons why I didn't were solid, but hearing you talk about something like that really bothered me. I'd never stopped to think about what I was missing out on. Claude has kids, I've seen them and stuff, but I never thought about them in the sense of what were you doing at that age. Your mom can show me pictures and I can hear stories, but it's not the same."

"Oh," she said.

"I should have told you. I won't do that again, I just really thought it'd be a fun surprise for you seeing her this morning instead of tonight."

"It was," she muttered.

"Good."

"Don't do it again!"

He chuckled. "I won't."

"I'm going to college, you know."

"Huh?" John said.

"You can't like wait to be alone until then?"

"No," John said simply. "You'd probably accuse us of trying to hide that's what we wanted if we did that."

She sighed softly.

"You had a hickey at my house last year, didn't you?"

John frowned a bit at the question. She'd seen it? He'd tried like hell to hide it. "Uh, yeah," he said with a slight nod.

"We weren't," Claire said.

"I don't want to hear about it!" Melissa said and John chuckled softly. "I just remember thinking I saw one but didn't think that was right. It was when we were playing in my studio and just assumed it was a trick of the light or something."

"It was there," John said.

"Thank you for being honest."

"I told you I'm not going to lie to you, and I'm not."

"Missy, really, did you not know?"

"No, I mean, I guess, but he could have just been sleeping in your room last weekend. You dated Stu forever before I even knew about him let alone met him."

"I know."

"I guess I just didn't think after a couple of months of dating him you'd be having sex with him," she said.

"Understandable," John said. It was. Who wanted to think about their parents like that? John sure didn't, he was pretty sure Claire didn't either. Claire did wince a little at Melissa's words. "I know your mom has mentioned she took setting an example for you very seriously. That's something I can honestly say I wouldn't have been prepared for. I'm still not sure that I am."

"You're fine," Claire said. "You're not doing things you shouldn't be doing in front of her. I wouldn't have let her come if you were."

"I know," John said.

"I'm really not going to have a brother or sister, though?"

"No!" Claire said.

"Okay."

"Can we go eat now?" John asked.

"Yes," Claire and Melissa both said.

"Thank God."

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com